ASK IRA: Does playing at pace run counter to Heat's roster?

Q: Ira, is Erik Spoelstra really trying to win 110-point games with this team? That seems like recipe for disaster. -- Craig.

A: "Disaster" seems a bit extreme, considering the Heat are 5 seconds from being undefeated. But is this the best approach for this team? That is a reasonable and legitimate question. First of all, this hardly is a representative rotation at the moment, with all of the Heat's injuries. But will Dion Waiters work at speed? Wayne Ellington? Even James Johnson at speed comes with its own risks. And will the defensive tradeoff be worth it. One thing about Spoelstra is that he is willing to adjust, and almost always has from his initial approaches to the season. But if you are a team with Hassan Whiteside, Dwyane Wade, Dion Waiters and Kelly Olynyk as part of your core, is that a rotation that can beat fleet teams at their own game?

Q: When Justise Winslow gets back the Heat should keep Rodney McGruder at shooting guard. Winslow is a good rotation glue guy who can give you defensive stops, can score occasionally, and can set up. -- H.F.

A: I have no issue with Justise as a sixth man, with the ability to enter at multiple positions in case of foul trouble (basically anywhere but center). And I also have no issue with Josh Richardson starting alongside Rodney on the wing. But you are forgetting one element of the equation -- and I cannot envision Dion Waiters being content as a reserve on this team. That doesn't mean it couldn't be the best decision for the team, I'm just not sure that is where Dion's mentality stands. Of course, you could start Justise at the four and Richardson and McGruder on the wing, but that still does not address the Waiters issue. For now, it's not an issue at all, with Dion seemingly not close to a return. But he will be back. And decisions will have to be made. And that could create some discomfort from a team that talks about thriving when being uncomfortable. We'll see.

Q: This team, once they get healthy, is a 48- to 50-win team. Trades won’t make them better than the Celtics or Raptors. Those two teams are way ahead of everyone else in the East. The Heat are a four or five seed this year and will be fun to watch. It doesn’t need to be Finals or bust every year. -- Josh.

A: I think you're a bit high on your prediction, but there is nothing wrong with being an optimist. And I agree about your point with Boston and Toronto. What the NBA has become about is timing your moment of truth, as the Rockets did in getting Chris Paul, as the Celtics did before trading for Kyrie Irving, even as the 76ers did with The Process. But the Heat sitting back -- and sitting out trades -- comes down to projections of internal growth, in in this case with players such as Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow, Bam Adebayo and maybe even Derrick Jones Jr. And doing that can be tricky, as we've seen with players such as Tyler Johnson and even Hassan Whiteside, projections can be tricky.